chevron’s health partnership in Morocco makes progress

July 28, 2015 – As part of the Morocco Capacity Advancement Partnership (M-CAP)—a socioeconomic endeavor Chevron created in collaboration with the national oil company of Morocco—Chevron worked with Baylor College of Medicine International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) at Texas Children's Hospital (TCH) to launch a joint health care training initiative earlier this year. The initiative helps doctors and specialists in Morocco get vital training in their fields.

Benjamin Choi, M.D., (left) assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Emergency Medicine with Baylor College of Medicine, discusses pediatric emergencies with a Moroccan health professional.

In March, more than 25 Moroccan doctors and specialists received a week of intensive training in blood diseases and cancer at the University Hospital Mohammed VI of Marrakech by hematology and oncology specialists.

The second training took place in Marrakech in June. Four pediatric physicians with Baylor College of Medicine and the global health coordinator from BIPAI oversaw the weeklong immersion program for 30 Moroccan specialist doctors focused on pediatric emergency medicine. The program consisted of tours, lectures and workshops in three different hospitals: University Hospital Mohamed VI, Hospital Ibn Tofail and Hospital Arrazi.

Doctors from the visiting medical team also observed hospital operations with local doctors and exchanged ideas and advice on how to improve processes. These visits also benefitted the staff nurses, who had the opportunity to interact with the team.

Each afternoon, lectures were given on pediatric topics including respiratory illness, burns and triage, and neonatal emergencies. The lectures were followed by hands-on workshops allowing the doctors to practice procedures learned during the lectures, such as intubation, sedation and various injection techniques.

At the end of the week, the doctors and hospital personnel, as well as the Moroccan Ministry of Health and CEOs of the three hospitals, conveyed their support of the program. Another training session is planned for early 2016.

The goal of M-CAP—launched in 2014 in collaboration with Moroccan national oil company ONHYM (Office Nationale des Hydrocarbures et des Mines)—is to support human and institutional capacity building in Morocco by establishing petroleum engineering education curriculum, a training program for health professionals, and a center of excellence in corporate responsibility and economic development. In 2015, U.S. energy company Kosmos joined Chevron in support of M-CAP.

"The latest round of medical training solidifies our commitment to the government of Morocco and our M-CAP partners," said Carl Atallah, Chevron's country manager for Morocco. "I am pleased with the progress that is being made to build the capacity of local health care professionals and institutions."

With Chevron's recognition of the deep interdependence of healthy businesses and healthy societies, this training initiative is one way that Chevron is working to strengthen health systems in the communities where the company operates. By collaborating with partners like universities and hospitals, the unique resources of each organization are used to meet the supply of and demand for health services more efficiently.

Chevron has collaborated in partnership with BIPAI on health care initiatives since 2011, and in addition to this program in Morocco, works with both organizations in Angola, Liberia and Colombia.